Devolution delivers Sh4.4tr windfall to devolved units over past 15 years

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Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has defended devolution, saying county governments have collectively received about Sh4.4 trillion in revenue allocations over the past 15 years, making it one of the most consequential transformations introduced by the 2010 Constitution.

Mudavadi said devolution had significantly changed the country’s governance structure by distributing resources across the 47 counties and bringing government services closer to the people.

Speaking in Kisumu on Tuesday during the opening of the 2026 County Public Service Boards National Consultative Forum, Mudavadi described devolution as the jewel in the crown of the Constitution, noting that the resources channelled to counties had played a critical role in supporting development and service delivery.

He said the Sh4.4 trillion allocated to counties through the revenue-sharing mechanism over the past 15 years was a significant investment that should be assessed alongside other development programmes undertaken by the national government in collaboration with county administrations.

Mudavadi noted that county governments had also become major employers, with approximately 230,000 Kenyans working in the devolved units, making effective human resource management essential to the success of devolution.

He said ensuring that such a large workforce had the right qualifications, integrity, capacity and technological skills to deliver services to citizens remained a major responsibility for county administrations.

The Prime Cabinet Secretary challenged County Public Service Boards, which oversee human resource management, to continuously review their operations, strengthen institutional capacity and equip public servants with the necessary skills to improve efficiency.

He said the boards must ensure that county governments obtain value for money from their workforce while maintaining high standards of professionalism and accountability.

“Through the County Public Service Boards, which are the umbrella entities that manage human resource capacity in our county governments, they must constantly review, retool and make sure that we are always getting value for money when it comes to human resources in our county governments,” he said.

Mudavadi said the annual convention was important in bringing together stakeholders to examine the performance of county governments, share experiences and identify ways of improving efficiency in public service delivery.

He further called for stronger collaboration between the national and county governments, saying the progress made under devolution could not be measured through revenue allocations alone.

He noted that the Constitution provides for counties to receive no less than 15 per cent of nationally raised revenue based on the most recent audited accounts, adding that resource allocation had progressively increased through consultations and engagements between the two levels of government.

“The true measure of devolution is not in the structures we establish, but in the lives we transform and the opportunities we create for our people,” Mudavadi said.

He cited the intergovernmental structures chaired by the President as important platforms for addressing resource allocation and other matters affecting the relationship between the national and county governments.

 noting that the amount allocated had risen by more than Sh100 billion in the current financial year.

The Prime Cabinet Secretary, however, cautioned against assessing the national government’s contribution to counties solely through the equitable revenue-sharing formula, saying other investments made in consultation with county administrations should also be considered.

He said national government programmes in roads, agriculture, rural electrification and other infrastructure projects were equally important investments benefiting residents in different counties.

According to Mudavadi, such projects were not abstract national investments but resources directed towards specific counties and communities to support economic development and improve livelihoods.

He said the national and county governments had distinct constitutional mandates but remained interdependent, making cooperation necessary to achieve development objectives.

“Please look beyond the revenue-sharing mechanism. That is only one component. Sometimes we tend to forget what roles the national government is undertaking in a particular town and how much is being invested in agriculture, rural electrification and providing different types of infrastructure,” he said.

Kisumu Governor Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o said County Public Service Boards had a critical responsibility in ensuring that the constitutional framework for devolution translated into effective service delivery and improved opportunities for citizens.

Nyong’o said although the Constitution established the structures for devolved governance, the success of the system depended largely on how county governments managed their human resources.

He challenged the boards to strengthen their institutional independence and ensure that recruitment and promotions were guided by merit, fairness and transparency.

The governor also called for sustainable human resource planning, continuous professional development, accelerated digital transformation and a strong culture of integrity, professionalism and accountability within county public services.

He said competent and well-managed public servants were essential in building responsive county institutions capable of addressing the needs of residents.

Nyong’o noted that the success of devolution should ultimately be judged by its impact on people’s lives rather than the number of institutions or administrative structures established under the system.

“Ultimately, the true measure of devolution is not in the structures we establish, but in the lives we transform and the opportunities we create for our people,” he said.